A Host's Heart
by Kairi the Strong
Summary: Title subjective to change. Fujioka Haruhi's life changed forever when her world was destroyed by the Heartless, leaving her separated from her friends and family. Now she's on a mission to find her friends and protect the boy she's learning to see as a brother. Begins toward the end of KHI. No romance at the moment
1. Beginning

"_Go Haruhi! Get out while you still can!"_

"_Not without you! I can't lose everyone!"_

"… _We'll come back. I promise. Now go!"_

"_Senpai!"_

* * *

"Hey, she's waking up! Leon!"

Haruhi groaned, clutching her throbbing head. "Ow…" She looked around, taking in brown walls and the rough bed she was in. Definitely not her apartment or Ouran Academy. "Where…?"

"Traverse Town." The brunette looked at the man leaning against the door. His arms were crossed, a serious look on his face. "You're the first to have made it here in a while."

"Traverse Town..? That's not in Japan, I take it."

"Japan? Is that your world?" A dark haired girl asked from her position on a chair.

Haruhi's eyebrow rose. "No. I live on Earth, like everyone else. Japan is a country."

The other two looked at each other. The girl sighed. "Your world is gone. It was destroyed if you've landed here."

"Then the others must not have made it…" The brunette mumbled.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Haruhi gazed at the blankets. "I guess I kind of knew they wouldn't be here with me. They… they tried to protect me and…" Her voice finally broke.

The black haired girl nodded sadly. "Yeah, we know. Only Leon," she pointed to the brown haired man, "Cid, Aerith, and I were the ones who came here."

"Oh… I'm sorry." She looked at the girl. "I'm Fujioka Haruhi."

"Yuffie Kisaragi." Yuffie giggled a bit. "Who names their kid 'Fujioka'?"

Haruhi and Leon sighed at her. Haruhi clarified. "No, where I live, you say your family name first."

"So you're Haruhi, then?" the brunette nodded. "Okay!"

Leon finally pushed himself off the door. "Leon." He stuck out his hand.

"Pleasure." They shook. He looked to the taller girl. "Yuffie, didn't Aerith say she wanted to speak to her once she woke up?"

"RIGHT!" She grabbed Haruhi's hand, pretty much dragging her out of the room. "By the way, did I tell you that I'm a ninja?"

The brunette sighed. From one crazy place to another, typical.

* * *

Haruhi smiled at Aerith as the woman looked her over for injuries. "I checked you over when you were first found," she had told the younger girl, "but I might have missed some."

"Thank you, Aerith-san. I'll be fine." She said, bowing slightly to the healer. "I'm sorry to be such a burden." She turned, opening the door to the little house.

"Wait! It isn't safe!" Yuffie called as the brunette host walked out into the Third District. She bolted out of the room. "Haruhi!"

Said girl was sitting on the ground staring at the fast approaching Heartless. Yuffie slashed them away with shuriken as they attempted to jump on Haruhi. "Haru, either fight or get inside!"

Brown eyes stared at the ninja. "With what!?"

"..Oh." The black haired girl continued killing the little beings of darkness.

Leon sighed, standing in front of the brunette. "Just get inside." Haruhi looked up to the man carrying the gunblade.

"A-alright…"

* * *

"Has anyone ever told you that you cause trouble?" Leon asked.

She nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes, actually…"

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "I think we should train her. Don't look at me like that, Haru, you said that you want to find your friends."

Leon groaned slightly, but nodded. "Fine, but you'll need something to fight with. Follow me." He led the girl out into the district, which was empty, and through the door that led to the First District. "This is First District. This area tends to be pretty Heartless free, so if you ever need a break, this should be your first stop. It has the Accessory Shop and the Item Shop." He steered her to the latter, nodding to people they passed.

"How many worlds have been..?" Haruhi asked, looking at the amount of people.

"A lot. We protect them as well as we can, especially with Sora here now, but we can't save them all."

They entered the shop, causing Haruhi to slump slightly. "Are those… ducks?" At her companion's nod, she sighed. "This place is weirder than Ouran Academy..."

The ducks looked at the two. "Hey Leon! Who's the girl?"

"This is Haruhi. She needs a weapon."

The three went into action. "This?"

"No, that's not right! How about-?"

"WRONG! That'll never work for a girl her height."

"Um…" Haruhi mumbled. "What about that?" She pointed to a staff leaning against a wall.

One of the little ducks picked it up, scrutinizing it. "Yeah… It'll do. Here."

She took it, running a hand on the wood. "It's pretty heavy…" Her face set in a determined look. "I'll just have to get used to that."

"Put it on the tab, guys." Haruhi jumped at Yuffie's voice. The older girl giggled. "Scared ya, huh? It's okay, that happens to most people. See ya Huey, Dewey, Louie."

"See ya Yuffie!" The dark haired girl grabbed the brunette, pulling her out of the shop. "A staff, huh? Not bad." Leon shook his head before following them out.

* * *

"Come at me with all you've got!" Yuffie yelled to the brunette. She jumped, dodging the staff's blow toward her knees. "Hehe, nice shot!" She dodged again. "Remember, Heartless are going to fight back, but they're too stupid to dodge this well! You might be faced with human opponents, though, so keep working!"

Haruhi paused. "Did Leon-san tell you to say that?" The ninja nodded, causing the host to sweatdrop. "I thought as much."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Exactly like it sounded."

Yuffie retreated to a corner, causing Haruhi to sweatdrop more. 'I swear, she's almost as bad as Tamaki-senpai.'

Before anything more could happen, though, Leon entered the waterway. "Hey, you two, Sora's here."

They retreated to the small house, where a spiky haired boy was waiting with Aerith, a duck, and some sort of dog. The boy's head shot up at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Yuffie! Leon!" He finally looked at the youngest of the trio. "Who're you?"

She smiled. "Fujioka Haruhi… I mean, Haruhi Fujioka." They shook hands.

"Sora." He paused. "You know, for a guy you look a lot like a girl."

"I think that is a girl, Sora." The dog-like creature said. Sora's eyes widened.

"No way, Goofy! Haruhi's obviously a guy! Look at his hair!"

The brunette smiled slightly. "I'm a girl."

"See, I told you he was- Wait, what?"

"Biologically speaking, I'm a girl. But it doesn't really matter to me."

"How can it not matter?!"

Haruhi sighed. "It just doesn't."

"Sora, just drop it." A red haired girl said, moving from her place at the table. "Hey. I'm Kairi."

Sora pouted, then smiled. "Alright! So, when did you join up with them?" He pointed his thumb at the group behind them.

"A couple weeks ago. My world was destroyed. I was the only one who ended up here." She shrugged lightly. "I'm sure the others are alive, they always pop up to irritate me." Her smile turned fond and she chuckled a bit. "I can feel them, sorta. Almost like…"

"You're connected." The boy finished, a distant look on his face. "Yeah, I know the feeling. I lost my world and got separated from my friends, too. But along the way I made a ton of new friends, so it wasn't all bad. I still want to save them though."

Leon cut in. "Speaking of which, Sora," he said, leaning against the wall, "tell me what happened while you were gone." Sora started his story, explaining everything he'd seen at Hollow Bastion. "So, darkness is flowing out of that Keyhole."

"No wonder there are more Heartless everywhere…" Aerith noted softly. "The only way to stop them is-"

"To seal that Keyhole, right?" Sora asked, summoning the Keyblade.

"Maybe," Leon replied. "But no one knows what will happen once it's sealed."

"Well, we can't just stay here! We have to do something! I have a friend back there!" The Key bearer almost yelled.

"You're right. You have one more friend. Riku's Keyblade must have been born from the darkness of the captive princesses' hearts, just like that keyhole you saw." Leon looked to the red head. "Without Kairi's heart, it remained incomplete. Once that Keyblade was destroyed, the princesses' hearts should have been freed. Don't worry, Sora. If anyone can save your friend, you can."

* * *

Haruhi smiled slightly, watching the group leave Traverse Town. "He's a nice boy."

"Sora has tremendous weight on his shoulders." She looked up at Leon. "He'll be fine, though." A smirk entered his normally stoic features. "Are you already worried about him, Haruhi?"

"Yeah. He's so much like Tamaki-senpai that…" She trailed off. "What I mean is he's going to get himself hurt eventually."

They were silent for a while, Haruhi swinging her staff, Yuffie eating something or other, Aerith sitting in a corner, and Leon leaning against the wall.

Cid walked over to them. "The gummi ship's all ready. Be safe, will ya?" The man said, half glaring at them.

"Thanks Cid. We'll bring it back when we're done." Leon said.

"Wait, we're going after them? Seriously?" Haruhi asked, causing Yuffie to turn and grin.

The ninja wrapped an arm around the smaller girl's shoulder. "Yup! You, me, Aerith, and Squall! Nothing to do around here, might as well help the kid out, right?"

The brunette nodded. "I guess."

And an hour later they were on the ship, headed to the world Hollow Bastion. Haruhi was gazing out the window, awe showing clearly on her face. "This is… amazing. How could we not have known there were so many worlds with intelligent life?"

"Most people don't know about the other worlds, we've told you that." Yuffie said, rolling eyes at the girl.

"But the people of my world knew there were other planets, but none that had been visited had any life."

The ninja bounced slightly. "Really? That's weird!"

Haruhi rolled her eyes this time. "Right, because creatures stealing people's hearts are so normal."

"You… do have a point there." Yuffie conceded.

They turned to the man standing at the door. "Yuffie, Haruhi, we're there."

* * *

After fighting their way through Hollow Bastion, the group was wandering around the Grand Hall, waiting for Sora's appearance.

"Sora. You did it." Leon said, drawing the Host's attention. The boy returned at the sound of his name.

He looked at them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We came in Cid's ship!" Yuffie said, turning from her position on a low wall.

Aerith sighed. "This was our childhood home. We wanted to see it again." Haruhi's heart clenched.

Leon looked around at the rubble. "It's in worse shape than I feared. It used to be so peaceful…"

"Don't worry." Aerith laughed lightly. "If we defeat Ansem, all should be restored. Including your island, Sora, and your world, Haruhi."

Excitement crossed the boy's face. "Really!?"

Yuffie looked down. "But… It also means goodbye."

"Huh?" Haruhi put a hand on the ninja girl's shoulder.

Aerith continued on. "Once the worlds are restored, they'll separate again."

"Everyone'll go back to where they came from."

This didn't deter the Keyblade Master. "Then I'll just come visit you on the gummi ship!"

Leon gave him a stern look. "It's not that simple."

Yuffie and Aerith took over. "You didn't know about the other worlds before all this, right?"

"Because every world was isolated. Impassable walls divided them."

"The Heartless destroyed those walls. But if the worlds return, so will the walls."

"Which means the gummi ships will be useless." Leon finished.

Sora seemed to have trouble grasping the idea. "So you're saying we'll never..?"

The girls looked down as Sora turned around. "We may never meet again," everyone looked at Leon, "but we'll never forget each other."

"No matter where we are, our hearts will bring us together again."

Yuffie grinned. "Besides, I couldn't forget you even if I wanted to."

The boy looked slightly offended. "What's that supposed to mean!?"

"It means our hearts will always remember each other, no matter what happens." Sora looked at Haruhi in surprise.

"Sora!" "Come and close the keyhole!" He turned toward Donald and Goofy.

The boy started to turn. "Sora. Good luck." He nodded to the older male before running off.

* * *

"Well?"

Haruhi turned to face the brown haired man. "Well what, Leon-san?"

The man rolled his eyes slightly. "Aren't you going after him? He's probably your best bet to find your friends if they don't end up home. He'll probably welcome you happily."

"I guess so." She smiled at him. "Did you see where he went?"

"That way. And stay out of trouble!"

"I'll try, Leon!" She sprinted away in the direction he had pointed, finding Sora as he finished talking with the Princesses of Heart. "Sora!"

"Haruhi?" He gazed at her in confusion. "What's up?"

"I want to come with you. I want to find my friends and help you find yours. Please."

He grinned. "Sure. Let's go." He turned to his companions. Donald, Goofy, let's get going! Haruhi's coming too!" At Donald's rebellious look Sora glared. "And no arguments on that. She has friends to find too."

"Fine." The duck said irritably. "But she'd better do her share."

And soon, the group was on its way to the end.

* * *

Whew! That took a while for me to write… I had to watch walkthroughs to see the physical reactions and use a script for most of the lines. It's hard work. And, btw, I've never actually beat the first KH, only CoM and KHII. This story will be through COM, a sequel will be KHII.


	2. Closing a Door

The group had landed on a barren wasteland. Haruhi gazed across the expanse next to Goofy. The dog-man voiced all of their thoughts. "Gawrsh, is that all that's left of the world's taken by the Heartless?"

Sora wasn't worried. "But if we defeat Ansem the worlds should go back to normal, right?"

"You betcha!" Donald grinned at the boy.

"But if we do beat him, and the worlds are reconnected" Sora continued, "what'll happen to this place? And us?"

Donald's grin faded. "This is a Heartless world, so maybe it'll just disappear." The boy and duck glanced at Goofy, alarmed. "Don't worry! Even if this goes poof our hearts ain't going nowhere."

Haruhi looked ahead. "We can only hope it'll end up that simple."

Sora shook his head. "C'mon Haruhi, don't be so negative. We'll find our friends for sure!" He gazed at a charm in his hand before moving on.

It took a while to get across the empty space, Sora was opening every chest he could find. As they moved, the cricket that traveled with them was filling Haruhi in on the types of Heartless they had met. After beating countless heartless, they were in an empty area.

"I wonder where that Ansem feller went." Goofy said, looking around the gloom.

"Just dive into the most dangerous place and we'll find him." Haruhi rolled her eyes at the duck.

"But falling from this height would kill us."

Sora grinned at her. "But we can fly."

"No I can't."

His grin fell. He chuckled slightly. "Right, you weren't at Neverland. Take my hand, Haruhi." She did so, albeit reluctantly. "Off we go!" The Keyblade wielder jumped off the ledge, laughing as the girl's grip tightened.

"Sora, if you drop me…"

"We're going down, Haru!"

He kept a tight grip on her hands and they dropped into a light.

* * *

The group began traveling back through worlds that Sora, Donald, and Goofy had been to, Jiminy telling Haruhi the names of each as they left. Every time they had to fight waves and waves of heartless.

"Enough already." The Host groaned, gazing at the hole in the ground they were going to have to jump through.

"C'mon Haru, it won't be that bad."

"Sure." She sighed, following the younger boy down.

* * *

"Whoa…" Haruhi's eyes widened at the sight of the giant black bat-like Heartless. She followed Sora on the assault of its head, nodding thanks to Donald as he continuously healed them. She was thrown back as pain erupted throughout her body. She felt the warmth of Donald's healing as Sora destroyed the Heartless.

The boy soared over to her. "You okay?"

Haruhi nodded. "Yeah. Nice job, Sora." The group continued on, area to area until they reached a green room where a Behemoth appeared. Haruhi and Sora made their way up its back quickly and it was quickly defeated.

A piece of the Heartless symbol at the end of the room broke off. After, more heartless came, after each group had been defeated another part broke off until the symbol was gone, allowing them to continue forward.

The room they ended up in was thankfully peaceful. Only a door stood at the end. Haruhi smiled at the group, ready to keep going. "Let's go then, yeah?"

"Sure!" As they approached though, a funny look went over the boy's face. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" The duck sounded worried.

"Don't you hear something? There!"

The girl listened hard, hearing only silence and Jiminy scribbling in his journal. "Sora, There's nothing there."

"Strange… That voice was so familiar. Maybe it was just my imagination." He looked uncertain.

"Then maybe you should take a rest, Sora."

"Yeah, probably."

* * *

Once rested, they opened the door leading out onto a…beach? "Well, that's different…" Haruhi ran to catch up with the others, hearing Sora say it was his home. He turned, sprinting toward a shadowed area. Groaning, Haruhi ran after.

"This world has been connected." A smaller island disappeared.

"What was that?!" Goofy looked at the others.

"Tied to the darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed." More of the island disappeared and the water turned purple. "There is so very much to learn. You understand so little. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

_Well, that's a bit harsh… Sora may not be the smartest person, but he does know things…_

She followed him toward the silver haired boy standing on the edge of the now-destroyed beach. When he spoke, the voice didn't seem to fit. "Take a look at this tiny place. To the heart seeking freedom this island is a prison surrounded by water. And this boy sought to escape from his prison. He sought a way to cross into other worlds. And he opened his heart to the darkness."

The boy turned, but in doing so, changed from a teen to a silver haired man.

"Riku!" Haruhi glanced at her friend. So, the boy was Riku then…

"Don't bother." The man scoffed. "Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His heart again belongs to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness and all so end. The heart is no different."

Haruhi thought about it. '_No… Hearts don't begin in darkness… but do they really begin in light? No, even if they are born of darkness, they aren't evil. That's obvious by Kyouya-senpai_.' She zoned back into the conversation as he appeared behind them.

"In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came! You see, darkness is the heart's true essence."

'The heart doesn't have a true essence.'

"That's not true!" Haruhi smiled at the boy. "The heart may be weak and sometimes it may even give in, but I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!"

The man seemed to be getting angry. "So you've come this far but you still understand nothing. Every light must fade, every heart return to darkness!" A heartless appeared behind him, throwing them back into battle. It felt like a lifetime of giving and getting hit, but eventually, the man flew back and a portion of the island ripped away. Sora jumped in after, an invisible force field closing the rest off.

Haruhi sighed. "Looks like we're stuck here for now." The group watched in near silence as Sora continued to fight Ansem. There was a burst of darkness and they found themselves in an area of pure darkness. From the darkness came the voice of Ansem.

"Behold the endless abyss! Within lies the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts! Look as hard as you are able. You'll not find even the smallest glimmer of light. From those dark depths are all hearts born. Even yours." Sora looked down and gasped. Under them was a giant ship… Or was it a giant heartless? "Darkness conquers all worlds!"

Haruhi felt the rush of falling and everything went black.

* * *

She waited for what felt like hours. "Sora sure is taking his time…" Haruhi had long since given up finding a way out. Suddenly, "Haruhi!"

"Sora!" The younger teen flashed a grin before going to destroy heartless. Haruhi joined in, smiling at the sight of Donald and Goofy as well. An orb floated down once the heartless were gone, Sora struck it and in a flash of light they were outside the giant ship-heartless.

The force field around the center disappeared, allowing the odd group to attack the bulbous center. That part was taken care of quickly. Unfortunately, the battle was not over. Ansem detached himself from the ship, summoning what looked like a staff. The group charged in, only for Haruhi to be sent flying after a hard hit.

She smiled at the familiar warmth of Cure, nodding thanks to Donald before heading back in, more wary this time. After much more fighting and healing, the battle was over. The ship began to explode, leaving a greatly injured Ansem in its wake. As he spoke, the pain was evident. "It is futile. The Keyblade alone cannot seal the door to darkness. Kingdom Hearts! Fill me with the power of darkness..." He reached out to the door and it began to open, darkness spilling out. "Supreme darkness!"

"You're wrong." Haruhi looked at Sora, smiling at his strength. "I know now, without a doubt, Kingdom Heart is light!" Light shot through the darkness, enveloping Ansem. It formed around him, growing so intense the group had to look away.

Once the light had faded and they landed on the platform in front of the door, the group ran, pushing on them to close. Goofy peeked in and looked worried. Donald scolded him before looking in himself. "The Heartless!" They screamed together.

"Hurry!"

Sora groaned, pushing next to Haruhi. "I can't…"

"Don't give up!" Sora stopped at the voice. Haruhi continued pushing, realizing who it must be. "Together we can do it."

"Okay!" He must have been filled with new strength, because the door suddenly became easier for both of them, more than it should have with an extra set of hands.

The doors weren't moving fast enough. "It's hopeless!" Haruhi shot a glare at the duck, softening as she saw Goofy and Donald stare wide-eyed into the realm behind the door. "Your Majesty!"

Haruhi pulled away from the door at the high pitched voice of the king. "C'mon Sora, let's close this door for good!"

"But…" The dilemma was clear. Seal the door and save the worlds, but sacrifice a friend or save a friend and sacrifice the worlds?

"Don't worry, Sora. There will always be a door to light." With a few more words of encouragement, Sora nodded, going back to pushing the door closed. The brunette boy gave one last nod to his friend before the doors shut. Leaping back, he and King Mickey sealed the door on both sides.

They stared at the path in front of them, all except Haruhi. She placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, motioning him to the figure at the edge of the platform. "If we've got a journey ahead of us, then you might as well tell her."

He nodded, running toward Kairi. She smiled at the two in the distance, though felt her heart break for them as the Islands formed around the Princess of Heart. "Hey Haruhi!"

"Haru-chan!" Haruhi gasped, turning to the side. "Hikaru! Kaoru! Hunny-senpai and Mori-senpai too! What about my dad?!"

Hikaru smirked. "He's crying over how strong his daughter looks."

"What about Kyouya-senpai and Tamaki-senpai?"

The twins glanced at each other. "Tama-chan and Kyo-chan… They haven't shown up. They're probably still out there…"

Haruhi nodded. "Then I'll see you when I've found them. Explain to the girls why we're not there, okay?"

"Sure thing, Haruhi!" Kaoru waved. "And try not to get into trouble without us there!"

"Shut up!"

Her dad pushed to the front of the group. "No! Haruhi! Come with us~!"

"You know I can't!" They were drifting farther away. "Good bye! I'll see you as soon as possible! And I'll bring them back!"

"Haru-chan, just remember, we'll always be with you when you need us!" She smiled at Hunny's rare serious moment, waving one last time before the piece of her world disappeared.

Sora put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay, Haru?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah, let's get going."

"By the way," The boy mumbled slightly, looking at her as they walked. "Who was that pretty woman, your mom?"

"It was my dad."

A pause. "Oh, okay. Wait, WHAT!?"

* * *

I enjoyed the end of this chapter, but the stupid Ansem fight goes for ages, literally. Sora is forever confused by the Fujioka family.


	3. Old Friends

They had been walking a long time, Haruhi was sure of that, exactly how long had since slipped her mind. The road seemed never ending, grass and dirt, day and night. No one talked about where they were headed, if only because they didn't want to say they had no idea. It was peaceful, though, telling stories every night of before. Before the heartless came, before anyone was lost to them.

Donald and Goofy were asleep, leaving the chocolate haired teens gazing at the countless stars in the sky. "Hey, Haruhi..?" Sora mumbled, breaking their silence.

"Yeah Sora?"

"Do you think… that we'll actually get somewhere?"

Haruhi rolled over, looking at the boy. Blue met brown and the host turned on her back again. "I don't know. Most likely." She paused. "Get some sleep, Sora."

The next morning, the group was woken by an excited Sora. "Guys, c'mon, let's go! I think we're almost where this road leads!"

"How d'ya know that, Sora?" Goofy asked, picking up Jiminy.

"There was this guy last night. He was sorta weird. Wore a big black cloak."

Donald and Haruhi shared a look. "Sora… You shouldn't trust weird guys in the middle of the night."

He grinned. "Yeah, yeah."

Shrugging, they followed the Keyblade wielder down the road.

* * *

Eventually, the road widened, creating a space before a large, strange castle. A deep sense of foreboding overcame Haruhi. She looked back at the road behind them before running to catch up with the others, already walking into the castle. She entered in time to hear Goofy say "Hey, ya think its okay to barge in?"

"Hey guys..?" She started but was cut off by Donald.

"But we gotta do it, if we're gonna find the king."

"Guys…"

"The king!? King Mickey's here!?"

"Something just told me he's here, okay?"

"Really? Cause now that you mention it, I was kinda thinkin' the same thing!"

Haruhi sighed. "Oh never mind…"

Sora turned to them. "Seriously? Me too! One look at this castle and I just knew. Our very best friends; they're here."

The girl frowned. Something was not right here. Definitely not right. Goofy laughed. "Guess great minds think alike."

"Wait, hey! Hold on!" The cricket jumped out of Sora's hood. So he had felt what they did… "It can't just be a coincidence."

"Jiminy, you felt it?" She asked.

The cricket nodded at the girl. "Mm-hm, the exact same feeling."

Goofy gasped. "Gawrsh, maybe it's contagious."

"I doubt it's like a disease, Goofy. Either that or I'm immune to it. Something just isn't right about this place. Did any of you stop and think if it were a trap?"

"Well, whether or not it is," Donald began, "we gotta investigate it!"

"Right." Sora began walking toward the golden door at the end of the hall. Donald quacked in surprise. "Where are you going!?"

The Keybearer grinned. "That way, to the door. Are ya scared?"

The duck fumed. "Aww, don't be ridiculous! Come on, let's go, Goofy!"

Haruhi stared after them. "I don't think that's a good…" She trailed off, staring at the closing door and the cloaked figure in front of it. "Trap."

* * *

Sora glared at the cloaked figure. "That's it, who are you!?" Sora summoned his Keyblade, the others doing the same with their weapons. The figure, a man by the looks of it, walked toward them. Haruhi shifted in front of the boy, earning a confused look.

"Wak! A Heartless! Oh yeah? Try some of my magic!" Donald prepared to cast. "Thunder!" Nothing. "Come on. THUNDER! THUNDEEEER!" Still nothing. "Come on! Blizzard! FIRE!" Zip. Zilch. Zero.

"Trap." Haruhi stated, not dropping out of her ready stance as the man walked closer, stopping a few feet in front of them.

Donald drooped. "Why isn't it working?"

"I should think it's obvious. The moment you stepped foot in this castle, you forgot every spell and every ability you ever knew. In this place to find is to lose and to lose is to find." Haruhi felt dread well inside her. "That is the way in Castle Oblivion."

"Castle… Oblivion?" The boy asked.

The host groaned in irritation. "Ignore the name, Sora. What do you mean to find is to lose and to lose is to find. What if what you lose is more important than what you find?!" She could feel him studying her before he disappeared in a dark dome. Haruhi blinked. "Huh..?"

They heard him reappear behind them. "Here you will meet people that you have met in the past. And you will meet people you miss." This had manipulation written all over it, Haruhi had spent enough time with her club to be able to tell.

"People I miss..? Riku!" She sighed. Sora obviously couldn't tell. "You mean Riku's here!?"

"If what you want is to find him," He shot a dark wind at the boy before flying, Haruhi couldn't believe it, through her friend. An oddly familiar scent assaulted her nose and petals flew around her.

"Roses…?" The man turned to her slightly, causing her to step back. His attention, however, was taken by Sora attacking from above. The cloaked figure teleported to the raised platform in front of the door.

"What'd you do?" Sora asked.

"I merely sampled your memories. And from them I made this." He held up a card. "To reunite with those you hold dear."

The Keyblade wielder looked at the item. "What's this, a card?"

Haruhi could hear the arrogance in the man. "It is a promise for the reunion you seek. Hold the card to open the door; and beyond it, a new world. Proceed, Sora." He moved to the side, gesturing to the door. "To lose and claim anew or to claim anew only to lose." He stood for a few seconds more before vanishing into the darkness.

They quartet walked to the door, heading for the next adventure.

* * *

The next thing Haruhi knew, they were in… "Traverse Town?" She looked up. "Sora!" She ran toward the boy, noticing the cloaked man again.

"Where've you guys been!?" He called, relief shining in his blue eyes.

"That's what we wanna know."

Donald took over. "When you opened the door we saw a strange light and the rest is just blank." Jiminy mentioned something about his journal before Goofy and Donald noticed their new clothes.

"Guys!" Haruhi snapped. "We have more important things than your clothes changing!"

"Is it the cards again?" Sora asked the mysterious man.

"That is for you to ponder. Master the cards and make your way through the castle. But from here on," he warned, "you walk alone."

The three behind the boy glanced at each other. "Alone!?" Goofy exclaimed. "We can't let Sora go alone!"

Donald added, "Yeah, Sora can't do anything without our help!"

"Oh, thanks Donald." The boy mumbled.

Haruhi smirked. "He's right, Donald. He can get himself killed without help."

The males stared at her. "You're really negative today, Haruhi."

"Sorry." She paused. "But you'll be alright, right?"

"You bet." He turned. "You want me to go alone? Fine. I can take care of myself."

The man scoffed. "The hero speaks boldly." The girl sighed. Their enemy had noticed Sora's overconfidence as well… "Go then. The rest of Castle Oblivion awaits. Walk the avenues of latent memory, and you shall meet someone dear to you.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Haruhi heard Jiminy say.

"Relax Jiminy. I'm ready for any tricks he's got up his sleeves. How hard can it be to figure out these cards? All I have to do is use one in front of that door over there."

Haruhi shook her head. That boy… Her awareness was fading.

* * *

When Haruhi came to, she was in the Third District, standing behind Sora. Said boy turned at the flash of light the reappearing trio created. "Ah! Don't pop out of nowhere like that!"

The Host smiled lightly, looking past the boy, where Pluto was sitting. "Pluto…"

"Things just keep getting stranger." Donald complained. "What's Pluto doing here?"

"There's nothing strange about that." Haruhi glanced questioningly at Goofy. "We came to Traverse Town with Pluto, didn't we?"

Donald looked at his friend. "Did we?"

"No wait!" Jiminy jumped from his perch in Sora's hood. "According to my journal, it was before you met Sora that you came with Pluto."

The duck quacked. "He's right! We were chasing after Pluto, and that's how we came across Castle Oblivion!"

Confusion covered Goofy's face. "But aren't we in Traverse Town?" He asked.

Haruhi sighed. "No, Goofy. We're in a memory of Traverse Town within Castle Oblivion, if I understand correctly."

"Forget about all that, it's too confusing!" Sora yelled. "I don't know where we are, but let's keep moving forward defeating the Heartless! We'll get somewhere!"

It's actually really simple, Haruhi thought, rolling her eyes at the Keyblade wielder. "You'd better be careful, with that attitude, it's the Heartless that are going to defeat you." The girl smiled, seeing Leon walking over.

"Hey, Leon." She said.

"What are you doing in Castle Oblivion?" Haruhi resisted the urge to smack Sora. The boy had zero tact with these situations.

"Castle Oblivion?" The girl sighed. That was Leon's 'are you a complete imbecile' tone. "What are you talking about? This is Traverse Town." Suspicion filled the man's face. "And how do you know my name? Who are you?"

Sora froze with shock. Haruhi moved forward. "Leon-san?"

His gaze was hard. "I've never met the likes of you before."

"Quit playing, Leon!" Sora had found his voice again, desperation clung to the boy. "We all fought the Heartless together! You know that!"

"Look," Leon said impatiently. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know your names."

"You don't?" Haruhi faintly heard Goofy ask. Her thoughts were whizzing. _I see, everything has reset… _"But what's the point of that..?"

Shaking her head at Goofy's curious look, she tuned into the conversation. "I feel for you, but you've got the wrong guy. Happens all the time. Don't take it personally, Sora."

Donald and Goofy shared a look. Donald glared at the gunblader. "So you DO know his name!"

Leon turned, uncharacteristic confusion in his voice. "Now, now hold on! Why do I know your name!?"

"You think Leon's just kidding around?" Goofy asked softly.

"No." said Haruhi firmly. "Leon-san rarely kids around malevolently. That's Yuffie's job."

Leon shook his head at them. "Haruhi's right, Goofy. And besides, you and Donald are the ones who-" He stopped talking, putting a hand to his head. "I don't get it… Something's wrong with my memory. What's happening here?"

"Dunno, Leon." Yuffie's voice rang through the district. "Maybe Aerith was onto something after all." The 'ninja' trotted over to them. "She said she sensed some uncanny power and asked us to look into it. And this is as uncanny as it gets. Maybe you should take Sora to see Aerith."

Haruhi frowned lightly. Aerith had always been able to tell those sorts of things when she was staying in the real Traverse Town, so if the memory Aerith could sense something wrong… She barely registered Yuffie's departure and was surprised to find herself surrounded once more by a bright light.

* * *

Her return to consciousness was brief, Leon just making sure Sora had understood whatever it was he was taught. And then, the light overtook her again.

* * *

They were in the apartment where Haruhi had first met them all. Sora cut straight to the point. "Aerith have you forgotten me-" Haruhi smacked him lightly. "Us, too?"

The flower girl giggled lightly. "I don't know whether to say 'nice to meet you' or 'good to see you again.' I don't think I know you, but it feels like you belong here."

"Yeah, exactly!" Yuffie yelled. Haruhi smiled at her hyperactive friend. "Like, we've never met, but it still doesn't feel weird knowing your name."

"But I'm telling you, we have met!" Sora almost shouted. "We took on Heartless together! We were a team."

Leon sighed. "It feels right, but I don't remember."

"Then you won't remember what you said in Hollow Bastion, when I sealed the Keyhole. 'We may never meet again…'"

"But we'll never forget each other." Leon finished.

Sora grinned triumphantly. "See, you do remember!" Yuffie turned to the stoic man. "He's right Leon, I remember you saying that, too."

"I guess I can't write it off as a coincidence then."

"I don't have any memory of it, but somehow I still remember." Aerith paused, thinking. "I think your heart is doing the remembering for us."

The boy stared at her. "My...heart?"

Aerith sighed lightly." We don't know you, Sora, but your heart is full of memories of us together. Those memories must resonate in our hearts, too. Maybe they tell us things we couldn't otherwise know."

"So you're saying," Leon asked, "that Sora's memories are affecting ours?"

"His memories do seem to have a certain power."

Haruhi looked at the boy for a moment before speaking. "It's like that man said, this is all an illusion, Sora, created from your memories." At the group's, minus Aerith, confused looks, Haruhi continued. "Everything that didn't come in with Sora is part of his heart in physical form. Does that sound right, Aerith?"

The woman nodded, turning back to Sora. "So there's something special to you in this town?"

Sora nodded. "A friend of mine is somewhere in this town- I mean, Castle Oblivion."

"Castle Oblivion?" Yuffie asked. "What's that? There aren't any castles in here."

He sighed lightly. "That's not quite what I mean."

"You're still not sure what's going on yourself. Right?" Aerith asked, reading the boy easily.

"Right. We just got here, after all. I want to take a better look around."

Leon crossed his arms. "Then go have a walk around town. There are Heartless, but that's no problem for you."

Sora grinned. "So you know I can fight?"

"I can't say I know, but I feel like believing you. Let's leave it at that." Haruhi fought a laugh. That was so Leon.

* * *

It was the Second District this time. They ran toward the easily recognizable figure of Cid. The gummi expert turned to meet them. He grinned. "Well whaddaya know, it's Sora!" He scratched his head in confusion. "Wait, what am I saying? I don't know you. But you do LOOK like a Sora, what with the spiky hair and baggy pants..." Haruhi stifled a laugh.

Sora looked like a kicked puppy. "It's okay, Cid. That's my name."

Cid beamed. "So! You've heard of me, eh? Well, I can't say as I'm surprised."

"Anyway, maybe you can help me out. A friend of mine's supposed to be somewhere in this castle-er, town. Got any ideas?"

"Your friend, huh? Lately all this town sees is Heartless. Can't even take two steps without gettin' attacked." He pointed to the bell tower "In fact, this plaza's the worst. Word is, a jumbo-sized Heartless shows up when that bell rings. If you value your hide, you'll get outta here while the gettin's good." He left, waving at them slightly.

Goofy looked at the other three. "Maybe we should leave."

Sora grinned. "Don't you wanna see the giant Heartless?

"We won't see much of it, Sora. We're not in the entire battle, remember?" Haruhi said.

"Hehe, right…" In the distance, the bell tolled. Shouting words of warning, Goofy, Donald, and Haruhi disappeared.

* * *

Yuffie, Leon, Cid, and Aerith were waiting when they reappeared. "So your friend wasn't here?" Yuffie asked.

"No, I don't think I'll find him in this town. But he's somewhere in this castle. I just know it."

Cid snorted. "Castle? Like this whole town's inside some humongous castle? Hoo, that's rich!"

Leon glared at him. "He's probably right, Cid. We may not understand what's going on, but Sora does. He can see that reality is bigger than just this world."

Sora sighed lightly. "I wish I was that sure."

"You'll be okay, Sora. No matter what shape reality takes, you can handle it. I may not remember you, but I know you in my heart."

Haruhi zoned out as they gave the group luck. Aerith came over to her as Sora talked with Yuffie and Cid. "Aerith-san..?"

The woman spoke quickly. "Haruhi, you must be careful. Your intellect may be putting you in danger, but also you can't let Sora lose himself. They will try to deceive him, protect him."

"I will." Aerith nodded, vanishing with the rest of them. Suddenly, Sora froze, talking to nothing. The others, too far away to here, just looked on in confusion.

Finally, Donald called out to him. The Keyblade wielder looked around in panic. "Aerith? Aerith!?"

"What about Aerith?" Donald asked.

"Where did she go!? I was just talking with her!"

Haruhi glanced around suspiciously, Aerith's warning to her clear in her head. Sora was now seeing what no one else could..? The girl barely noticed the light taking her away.

* * *

Once more in a white hallway, Haruhi frowned. The hooded man from before was waiting for them.

* * *

I'm a bit late with this chapter. And I may be taking liberties with Haruhi's perceptiveness... BUT, it'll add in a little drama later and I promise there's a reason. I think I'm gonna skip next Friday's update, do three chapters then a break, then the next three. It gives me a little more time to finish tapping this out.


	4. Warnings and Wonderland

Haruhi glared cautiously at the man focused on Sora. "Well Sora? Did you enjoy meeting your memories?"

The boy stayed ready. "It was good to see everyone, but what do you really want from me?" He asked. Haruhi smiled lightly in approval.

"What do you have to give?" The group tensed as he walked forward. Haruhi blinked at the sound of another portal opening, revealing a new man, dressed the same as the first, but with shocking red (really red, not orange-red like Hikaru and Kaoru), spiky hair.

"Hello!"

The other stopped, the Host could almost hear the irritation in his voice. "What do you want?"

The red head grinned. "No hogging the hero." He caught the card thrown at him as the other turned.

"Then maybe you'd like to test him."

"Perhaps I would." The first man disappeared into darkness, leaving the group alone with the new man. "My show now, Keyblade master. Who am I? My name's Axel, got it memorized?" The girl snorted lightly, this Axel was definitely overconfident. Sora glanced back at her before nodding to the cloaked man. "Good, you're a quick learner. So Sora, now that we know each other better…" Haruhi darted in front of the boy as Axel summoned deadly looking round weapons. "Don't you go off and die on me now!"

* * *

Haruhi looked over Sora's shoulder at the card he'd grabbed. "Another one? What's it do?" She heard Goofy ask.

"I think," she began, "that you use it to make new worlds."

"So I guess we'll need it to keep moving, then."

"That's right." A silky voice said. The group jumped in alarm, staring at the red haired man.

Donald quacked in alarm. "Axel!"

They prepared for a fight as Axel walked up to them. "Did you really think after that introduction that I would give up oh so easily?"

Sora's eyes narrowed. "You were testing us."

"And you passed. Congratulations, Sora."

Haruhi glared. "Testing for what!? What do you want?"

Axel continued as if she said nothing. "You're ready now, ready to take on Castle Oblivion. You will need to follow your memories, trust what you remember, seek what you forget. Then you will find someone very special."

_But who..? If it _were _Riku, wouldn't they just say..? Unless it's someone else… _Haruhi thought._  
_

She faintly heard Goofy ask about Riku and the King. Axel smirked at them, watching carefully. "You'll just have to give some thought to who it is that's" he paused for a moment, "most important to you. Our most important memories are just out of reach, but I'm sure you can find yours, Sora."

"Now hold on a minute, Axel. If they're out of reach from those who they belong to, then there's probably a good reason for that! What do you get out of this?!"

"Listen, I'm a nice guy and all, but you," he pointed at Haruhi, "are going to get yourself in trouble one of these days, throwing around accusations like that. Other people aren't as forgiving about rudeness as I am."

Sora glanced between his teammate and enemy before asking, "Why me?"

Axel turned back to the boy. "You've lost sight of the light within the darkness. And it seems you've forgotten that you forgot."

"The light within darkness..?" he mumbled, confused.

Stretching out his arm, Axel asked, "Would you like me to give you a hint?"

Silence descended over the group. Haruhi studied the man, watching for deceit as Goofy turned to the Keyblade wielder. "Sora, do ya need it?"

The boy looked up at Axel defiantly. "I'm gonna figure it out for myself. If you're in my way," Sora dropped into battle position. Donald jumped in front of him. "Don't worry Sora, we'll protect you!"

"Good answer." Axel sounded almost smug. "Just the answer I'd expect from the Keyblade Master. But be forewarned, when your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be who you are now." With that, the man left in a portal.

They traveled up the stairs in silence, making it halfway through the next floor before Sora stopped, looking back at Jiminy. "What is it, Jiminy?"

"What Axel said back there worries me. What could he have meant by 'you may no longer be who you are'?" The cricket asked.

"I may no longer be me?" Sora smiled. "How can I be anyone else?"

Jiminy nodded. "Yup! But you can't help be too careful!"

"Feels like anything could happen here in Castle… Oblivi…Oblivi…Obliv…" Goofy trailed off, causing Haruhi to sigh.

"Oblivion, Goofy."

The dog-man nodded. "Right! Now I remember!"

Sora faced them. "We'll be okay. Whatever it is they're cooking up, we'll be able to face it together."

"Course we will, like that creepy castle we explored together, the one with all the weird contraptions."

"When was that?" Sora asked. Donald shrugged. "I can't remember. What was it called?"

Haruhi's eyes widened. They were already losing memories, recent ones, too. Did they really forget Hollow Bastion? Goofy had a concentrated look. "I think it was called Holla… Holly…Holler…" He scratched his head. "Sorry, I can't remember."

"Wak! Stop goofing around!"

"Are you sure you didn't make it up?"

"I don't think so…" Haruhi glanced at the males uncertainly, Axel's warning keeping her from mentioning the dark world. She shook her head at Goofy's concerned look, instead following Sora to the golden door to the next memory-world.

* * *

They walked through an odd forest, Haruhi trying to absorb everything about the strange world. "Are those giant mushrooms?" She asked Goofy. He nodded. "That's odd…"

Something then caught the knight's attention. "Hey, there's someone coming!" A rabbit in a tailcoat ran past the group, causing Haruhi to sweatdrop. "This reminds me of a dream I had once…"

The rabbit hopped nervously. "I'm late, I'm late, I'm dreadfully, awfully late! The Queen will roast me for dinner! If I'm late to the trial, it'll be MY head next!"

"What do you mean 'off with your head'!?" Sora yelled.

"Why next?" Haruhi mumbled.

The rabbit ignored them. "Oh my fur and whiskers! I'll never make it!" He ran off. Sora turned to the others. "Off with his head?"

Donald sighed. "For such a peaceful looking place, it sure is dangerous here." They looked in the direction the White Rabbit had run.

* * *

This time, they were out of the strange forest, instead on a lawn with hedges and soldiers that were… playing cards? "This is getting weird…" The rabbit ran forward, followed by the team. Standing at a wooden podium was a blond girl, around Haruhi and Sora's age, in a blue dress. In front of her was a large woman in red.

"Gawrsh, looks like some kind of get together. What's the occasion?"

Donald thought for a moment. "This must be the trial the White Rabbit was talking about!"

Said rabbit blew his horn before speaking. "Alice, do you understand the charges against you?"

"Of course not!" The girl exclaimed. "I've done nothing wrong!"

"Feigning ignorance, dear?" The large woman asked nastily. "You are charged with aiding the Heartless who threaten my kingdom!"

"Fiddlesticks! Where's the evidence!?"

"The evidence is…" The Queen said, "I forgot! That's the evidence!"

Haruhi moved forward, only to be held back by Goofy. "We can't interfere, Haruhi. Even if we want to."

The Queen continued. "Because you, Alice, stole my memory!"

The White Rabbit turned to the blond girl. "We can't be rid of the Heartless until we get Her Majesty's memories back. This is a serious crime!"

"This is preposterous! Oh, what if you're queen! It's not my fault if you can't remember stuff!"

"Such insolence! You're talking to the Queen of Hearts! And to think I might have let you go, if you apologized straight away! What a brazen thief!"

Haruhi glared at the woman. "Sora, do something!"

He nodded. "Who's the brazen one!?"

A nasty smile split the woman's face. "The court has reached a verdict! OFF WITH HER HEAD!"

"Wait!" The Queen turned her attention to the boy. Haruhi pushed her way next to him. Sora grinned at her before continuing. "This trial is farce, you should investigate before you arrest innocent people!"

"What is this!?" The Queen sputtered. "How dare you suggest Alice didn't steal my memory! I suppose you know who the real culprit is?"

Sora froze slightly, causing the girl to sigh. _Lie, Sora, lie; don't show weakness_. The boy's panic increased as she threatened all of them. "I'm the thief!" _But not that way…_

"Say that again!?"

"Gawrsh, really Sora?" Haruhi sighed at Goofy. Sora shook his head. "But what else am I supposed to say."

"The Heartless, maybe?" The girl hissed at him. The Keyblade wielder smiled apologetically at her before all hell broke loose.

"Cards, seize them all!"

* * *

The cards were defeated, leaving the quad alone with the Queen. Sora sighed in relief, jumping at Donald's loud "WAK! Where's Alice!?"

Goofy looked around. "She must've escaped!"

"She might've," The Queen started, "BUT YOU WON'T!" More card soldiers filed in.

"I think we've been trumped!" Donald yelled.

Sora turned. "Run!" The others followed him, escaping the wrath of the cards.

* * *

Forest again, but this time Alice was waiting for them. Sora stopped in front of the blond, Goofy, Donald, and Haruhi right behind him. "Things got a little crazy back there, but at least you're okay."

Alice looked at him with worry. "I don't mean to be ungrateful," she began, "but was that true, what you said? Are you the thief?"

"What? Of course not! Why would I steal the Queen's memory?"

"Yup!" Goofy added. "Sora only said that because he wanted to save-" "-to show off!" Donald interrupted.

The girl giggled. "You saved me all the same. Thank you." Out of nowhere, a purple cat head appeared, followed by the body dancing… On top of its head. Alice gasped. "It's the Cheshire Cat!"

The cat was grinning. "Feeling better after that mad dash, are we? But you're not out of the woods yet!" The cat vanished from the mushroom, reappearing behind them on a flower. "The Queen is a stickler for justice; she won't forget you till she remembers! She won't stop hounding you till you get her memories back! Did she forget because she remembers? Does she remember that she forgot?"

Something clicked in Haruhi's head. Axel had said something similar, that Sora had 'forgotten forgetting'. Would he be _gaining_ memories? Could he even _trust_ memories..?

"I don't know," Sora said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "I think we oughta just stay away from her."

"But Sora, we need to keep Alice safe." Haruhi told the boy. "If the Queen finds her again…"

He grinned lightly to her. "Then we'll just have to do something about that Queen, then."

"You should do something. But you don't have to do anything." The cat had moved again, this time to one of the giant plants. "If you can't remember something, it's like it never happened. If something never happened, you can't remember it. Try too hard to remember, and your memory might lie to you."

Haruhi gasped. _That's what they're doing, isn't it? They're going to make his memory lie…_

The cat's grin never faded. "That's all I'll say." And he vanished.

* * *

"Whoa, what's with the change of scenery?" Goofy asked. Indeed, the view was completely different than the last times on this floor. Instead of plants everywhere, they were in a more or less normal room. Compared to them, however, everything was giant.

"Let's look around!" Alice said. She walked ahead while the group looked at the room. "Oh dear!"

They gasped, seeing card soldiers in front of the girl, separating to reveal the Queen. The woman sneered. "Thought you'd seen the last of me, did you?"

Sora, protecting Alice, muttered a soft "Uh oh."

"Game's up, scoundrels! As punishment for stealing my memory, I sentence you to… I sentence you to…" The Queen trailed off. "I… sentence…" Confusion passed over her face. "Oh? What's going on? Where am I? What am I doing!? Confound it, why can't I remember!?"

"What's wrong with her?" Sora asked.

Haruhi sighed. "Her memory got wiped again."

Alice gasped in alarm, turning to the Keyblade wielder. "Sora, there's something coming!" A giant black and red heartless appeared in front of them.

* * *

The Queen was - surprise, surprise - furious. "You there, all of you! What is the meaning of this? Where did that creature come from?"

Sora's eyebrow rose. "How would WE know?"

"So, you refuse to answer? You're hiding something!"

Haruhi grimaced. "What, just because we don't know, we're suspects? How is that justice?"

She was ignored, as the Queen barked orders to her soldiers. "They're plotting against me! Seize them!"

"Please, Your Majesty, wait!" Alice said. "It was you who commanded us to destroy those creatures." Haruhi hid a grin; _that_ was a great lie. Ignoring Sora's confusion, the blond continued. "Your Majesty, in her prudence, didn't completely trust us at first. And so, at Your Majesty's command, we fought to prove ourselves. Isn't that right, Sora?"

"Uh," Haruhi elbowed him. "Uh, yeah, we did! Your, uh, Majesty."

The Queen looked shocked. "I… told you… to do that?"

Alice smiled, continuing. "But Your Majesty, don't you remember?"

She bristled. "Don't be ridiculous! I never forget anything! Of course I gave the command, you did splendidly." She walked away, allowing the group to sigh in relief.

Sora came up to the girl. "Way to improvise, I never would have thought of that."

"Of course you wouldn't Sora." Haruhi said, smiling at Alice.

"Hey!"

Alice laughed before speaking. "The Cheshire Cat said as much. Try too hard and your memory might lie to you. The Queen would never admit she forgot. So instead, she remembered something that didn't happen. She deceived herself." Sora was silent. "What is it, Sora?"

He crossed his arms. "Hm? Nothing. Well, I guess you'll be safe now."

"And the Queen won't give us any more trouble." Goofy added. "After all, we defeated the Heartless just like she commanded."

Haruhi laughed as Donald jumped up and down in anger. "Don't tell me you've been fooled too!"

* * *

Walking through the white hall again, Goofy stopped, thinking. The others, slightly ahead, looked at him. "What's the matter?" Donald asked.

"It was that creepy castle I was talking about earlier. I know I didn't imagine it." Haruhi stared at him. "'Cause that was the castle where Sora had to use the Keyblade to free Kairi's heart! Then he just disappeared! And I was so worried… How can I forget that?"

"Oh, that was when I turned into a Heartless." Confusion fell over Sora's face. "Wait, that happened in a castle?"

"Aww you forgot that? Cause I remember perfectly!" Haruhi snorted and Sora grinned. "Oh really? Then what's it called?"

"That's easy!" Donald said. "It was…" Silence descended over them. Donald tuned to Sora. "Jiminy, help me… Is it in your journal?"

The cricket nodded. "Every word. I finished the first volume right before we got to this castle." He turned to search Sora's hood. "Now, if I can just find it… Oh, here we go!" He jumped down and opened the book. "Oh! How can this be?"

Haruhi was filled with dread. She faintly heard Goofy ask what was wrong before her fears were confirmed. "All my entries, they're gone! Every page, blank!"

They weren't just going to tamper with the actual memories. These cloaked people, they were going to tamper with anything that would show proof of their tampering. But why, what was their goal..? She followed the others numbly, to deep in thoughts to realize that they were moving up.

Until, that is, she nearly ran into Sora. He had stopped, concentrating hard. "But what if it's more?" At Donald's confusion, he continued. "Goofy was telling us about another castle we'd been to, but none of us really remember it. Could it be we don't remember because we're losing our memories?"

"In this place to find is to lose and to lose is to find, Sora. He was talking about memories, so did Axel on the last floor. And tampering with the journal, doesn't that help you lose the memories as well?" Haruhi asked him gently.

"I guess…So the higher up, the more we forget?" He asked.

Donald looked between the two brunettes. "Does that mean everything and everybody will be forgotten?"

Sora looked down. "Riku… and Kairi too."

"Do you wanna go back?"

Goofy walked over. "Don't worry, fellers! We might forget where we've been or what we've seen, but we won't forget who our friends are. C'mon Sora, when you turned into a Heartless, did you forget me or Donald?"

"Of course I didn't!"

"There ya go! No matter what happens, you won't forget your friends." Silence came over them again as the words soaked in. Haruhi still felt troubled, though. Something about this was just wrong.

Donald nodded slightly. "So if there's nothing here that can make you forget your friends, then we have nothing to be scared of! Let's go!"

The trio watched as Donald walked forward, a grin breaking onto Sora's face. "But when I turned into a Heartless, who was the one who took forever to notice and kept clobbering me?"

He froze, turning to them. "How come you didn't forget that?" The group burst into laughter at the duck's anger.

"By the way, Sora." Haruhi said, controlling herself. "That Castle is where I joined up with you."

"Oh yeah, it was! We met in Traverse Town, but then you came with the others!"

"Mm hmm. The Castle was called Hollow Bastion."

The group stared at her in shock. Sora's expression was questioning. "You remember? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

She sighed. "I was afraid, what Axel had said worried me but… I decided that I'd rather be in danger protecting you than safe keeping you in the dark."

The boy nodded, accepting it, before turning to continue to the next level.

* * *

There's chapter 4. I haven't gotten any further on chapter 10, but... eh. Also, I decided that I'll take a break when I finish with the COM storyline, but KHII will be in the same story. I was going to post separately, but then it would be short. Instead, there's gonna be an interlude between the two parts. Nothing next week. And guys, please please please review? I want to know what I could be doing better with this or just hear your feedback.


	5. A Whale of a Tale

The next world was very… odd. Sora looked around a bit, commenting. "What a weird place, everything is kinda springy and soft."

"It's nice and warm too." Goofy added. "I'm thinking about taking a nap."

"I think you should be a little more worried." A voice said. The group searched for the person. "You're inside the belly of Monstro the Whale."

Jiminy jumped from Sora's shoulder. "Why, I know that voice! Pinocchio? Pinoke, it's you! Come on out!"

A little boy, or at least it looked like a little boy, poked his head from behind a wall. "Jiminy, is that you? Gosh, I thought I'd never see you again!"

The cricket ran over to him. "Gosh, there's no way you wouldn't find me again, I'm your conscience. And your conscience will always be your guide, remember?"

"Sure, Jiminy! And I've been a good boy, I promise! I didn't tell a single lie!" Pinocchio's nose grew longer. "Uh oh…"

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Jiminy cried. Haruhi nodded slightly, whatever was happening, Jiminy was used to it.

The kid looked sheepish. "Oops… But how did you end up in Monstro, anyway?"

"We, uh, used a special way." Sora said.

Goofy nodded. "So special we don't know how we did it."

Pinocchio looked sad. "That's too bad, I was hoping you'd know a way to get Father and I out of here."

"My word, Geppetto's here too?"

"Sure he is! Follow me!" The group followed him to the next area in Monstro.

* * *

The new area was far nicer than the last one, most likely the mouth by the looks. In front of them was what looked like a boat. Haruhi's head tilted in confusion. Why was there a boat inside a whale? Sure they were in a whale inside a castle, but that meant that the trio had been inside a whale at one point.

She sighed as an old man appeared, recognizing Jiminy. "How did you get here?" The man asked.

"You tell me!" Jiminy called. "How does a clockmaker wind up in the belly of a whale?"

The group climbed into the vessel, listening as Geppetto explained everything. Goofy and Donald stared at the man in disbelief. "So you sailed out to look for Pinocchio…" Donald started. "…and Monstro swallowed you!"

"Yes, but I found my son. I would do anything for my Pinocchio."

Haruhi smiled. "That's kinda sweet."

Sora sighed. "But now you're trapped here. Being stuck in a whale's awful."

"Not if Pinocchio and I are together. That makes everything better. There's nothing better than being united with someone you care about."

"Yeah," the boy nodded, "I know what you mean."

"I don't care if I'm trapped here." Geppetto continued. "So long as I have Pinocchio. He's such good boy."

"Well," Jiminy said, "he still tells fibs, but with a little help from me-"

The clockmaker laughed. "Oh, Jiminy, you worry too much."

Sora looked around. "Speaking of Pinocchio… Where is he?" The others looked around. No sign of the puppet-boy.

"He was here a minute ago! Where'd he go this time?" Donald yelled.

"He's probably exploring. That boy has been poking just about everywhere inside this monster." Haruhi sighed in disgust. "He won't tell me why it's so important. I tell him it's dangerous, but he won't listen."

Haruhi groaned as Sora agreed to look for Pinocchio, following reluctantly.

* * *

"… Stomach acid. Lovely." Haruhi mumbled, looking around. She rejoined the group to hear Pinocchio say, "I was looking for a way out. Father says he's happy, but it's my fault we're stuck here. I shouldn't have run away from home. I want to help father get back to his workshop." He trailed off slightly. "But he'll worry if I tell him the truth."

"So basically," Haruhi began, "you lied to protect your father from worry. Can't say I haven't done the same thing. But Pinocchio, I think your dad worries more about not knowing what it is you get up to. You just need to tell him."

The boy looked at her in confusion. Sora, behind her, grinned. "Yeah! And we'll help you guys get out too!"

"Okay, I'll give it a try! Wish me luck, Jiminy!"

Jiminy looked at him sternly. "And no more keeping secrets, alright?"

Pinocchio nodded. "Sure! I'll be brave and tell Father how I really feel. No lies this time!"

The cricket began to peak when the ground, stomach, Haruhi's mind corrected, rumbled. Goofy yelled for Pincchio to run. Unfortunately, the boy ran right under the large Heartless, trapping himself inside. Sora stared in shock. "Let's do this, Sora!"

* * *

When the Host came to, Pinocchio was sitting on the ground. "I'm fine, just a bit sticky." He stood. "But, I got a great idea! The thing spit me out when I started fighting back! Why don't we try that with Monstro?"

"Yeah!" Sora yelled. "If we're lucky, we can get Monstro to cough us up!"

"Great idea, let's go deeper inside and try!" Donald added. Haruhi sighed slightly, did the boys forget that they weren't _really_ inside a whale? Shaking her head, she headed over to one side of the platform, thinking.

A large hand rested on her shoulder. "Haruhi, we've got to go." She nodded to Goofy, following the others out.

* * *

The new room was tall and just as squishy as the rest. Goofy looked around before turning to the others. "Looks like this is as far as we go."

Sora nodded, smiling at the others. "Ready then? Let's shake things up!"

"It'd be easier if we had someone to fight…" Donald mumbled.

"Perfect timing." Sora said, pointing behind the duck. "Looks like we've got company!"

Haruhi nodded as the light overtook her.

Not long after, the room began shaking. Jiminy jumped in joy. "It's working! Monstro's going to sneeze!" Haruhi screeched as they all lifted up, flying through the whole in the ceiling. What felt like hours later, Haruhi slammed onto the ground of Monstro's mouth. She groaned, barely holding onto consciousness.

The girl sat up slowly, glancing at her comrades. Goofy was gaining his own senses, Donald and Sora still out cold. The dog-man glanced over at her worriedly, evaluating her physical state. "I'm fine, Goofy. I'm worried about those two…"

The two talked for a while until Donald got up. Haruhi watched Sora anxiously, waiting for him to get up. Finally, the boy groaned. "Now I know what getting shot out of a cannon feels like."

Haruhi giggled, helping him up. Donald spoke as the teens walked over. "Looks like Geppetto and Pinocchio are gone."

"Without Jiminy? I thought there was no escaping your conscience."

"I don't mind being left behind as long as their together." Jiminy replied, staring off to the distance. "Maybe Pinocchio doesn't need me after all."

Sora looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"That little puppet used to have trouble telling right from wrong. But he's come a long way. Maybe he doesn't need Jiminy Cricket anymore. Seems like he's got a conscience of his very own."

"Don't you remember what Geppetto said?" The others looked at Sora. "'There's nothing better than being reunited with someone you care about.' I bet Pinocchio is counting the days until he can see you again."

Jiminy jumped on Sora's shoulders. "Well, what do ya know, you might be right." The group stood in silence for a while before moving on.

* * *

They were back inside the unnaturally white halls of Castle Oblivion, moving toward the next level. Donald sighed, "I hope the King is okay."

The group paused, looking at the duck. Sora raised an eyebrow. "Why bring that up?"

"I had to be sure I hadn't forgotten him." Donald replied.

"How'd that go for ya?" Goofy asked.

"Good! I remember, we're on a quest to find the king!"

"I remember that too! The king helped save everything by staying on the other side of the door to darkness. I think…"

Haruhi nodded. "That's right. And I'm looking for Kyouya-senpai and Tamaki-senpai so that I can return home."

Sora grinned. "I'm looking for Riku. He was with the King when the door closed. Hm!" He nodded. "I guess there's no way we'll forget our most important memories."

"That's good!" Donald agreed. "There's some memories I don't want to forget."

Haruhi watched the others continue on worriedly. "Sora, I hope you're right, I really do. I don't like this at all…"

Sora turned, halfway up the stairs. "C'mon, Haruhi! We gotta keep moving!"

"Coming!"

* * *

"I wonder if there's anything else we've forgotten." Donald said.

Haruhi leaned against the wall next to the stairs as the others thought about it. "Hmm… If we did, what would it have been?" Goofy was quiet for a moment. "I can't think of anything, so maybe that means I really am losing my memories! But whatever they were, they couldn't have been very important memories, right?"

"Right, or else I don't think you would have forgotten it." Sora reached into his pocket, pulling out his charm. "Look."

"That's Kairi's charm, isn't it, Sora?"

He nodded. "Yup. It's special to her, so I promised I would return it. I'll never forget making that promise. That's why I'll never forget Kairi." He gazed off. "Am I right, Kairi?" He grinned for a moment before spinning around. "Huh? Do I know… that girl?"

Haruhi stiffened. "What..?"

"Hey Sora!" Donald yelled at the boy. "Where'd you go?"

Sora grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, never mind."

Goofy shrugged, turning. "We better keep goin'."

"What's going on? Did he just… remember something?" Haruhi mumbled, watching Sora walk to the gilded door. A chill of foreboding fell over her, forcing a shiver.

* * *

Short chapter, I know. but I always felt Monstro was a filler world anyway. No big hints at the plot like in Traverse Town or Wonderland, and not even a Organization member to harass them. Constructive criticism please, guys? I know you're reading it just gimme some hints to make this the best it can be.


	6. A Wish in the Sand

Haruhi sighed. She was glad that she didn't need to do much fighting; with all the worrying she was doing, the Host knew she'd be no good in a true battle. The air around them was dry and sand caught on her heavily frayed uniform. Sora sprinted ahead of the group, forcing Haruhi to snap out of her thoughts.

Once the first battle was over, the five were standing in a circle, surrounded by Heartless. "They just keep coming!" Donald yelled, annoyed.

"Guess we'd better see if the legends are true." The mysterious man they were helping said, "Magic lamp, my first wish! Get rid of these Heartless!" He pulled out lamp. From it, a blue man appeared.

"Stand back, kids! Genie of the lamp coming through! Ain't nothin' I can't make right as rain-well, if we HAD rain in the desert." Genie teleported beside the man. "But enough dry jokes! One Heartless disappearing act, coming right up!" The Heartless disappeared.

Goofy blinked in surprise. "Gawrsh!"

Donald glared at the man. "Why didn't you call him in the first place?"

"It's not that simple. You see-"

Genie interrupted him. "I couldn't have said it better myself. But I will anyway! I'm strictly limited to three wishes per master. And ixnay on the wishing for more wishes!" He returned to his lamp.

Sora smiled. "So you've got two wishes left? Better use them carefully."

The man nodded "I've got to get back to the palace somehow. But with all these Heartless..."

"Hey, Sora. We're headed that way too, so why don't we go with Aladdin?" Goofy asked. Haruhi looked at the knight in confusion. So they could remember names, but not events..?

"Sounds like a plan." Sora agreed.

Aladdin grinned in relief. "That would be great! Thanks a lot!" Haruhi sighed lightly, following the others out.

* * *

Haruhi barely noticed herself reappear with the group, too lost in her thoughts. She followed Sora instinctively. Why would Sora start remembering things..? What did he see in his mind that confused him back then? Something to do with Kairi..? Haruhi grunted in surprise as she ran into Sora.

"I'm lucky I made it back to Agrabah in one piece."

"Wasn't there anyone else there to help you out?" Sora asked. "This Jafar guy's got some serious nerve to give such dangerous orders."

"I know how you feel, Master. People have been ordering me around for 10,000 years and what help do I get?" Haruhi felt a pang of pity for the genie, she had only had to endure most of a school year with overwhelming guys. "I keep wishing someone will wish me outta this gig, but go figure the odds on that."

Aladdin looked at Genie thoughtfully. "Well, how 'bout I use my third wish to set you free?"

A true grin broke over hi face. "Doth my pointy ears deceive me? Master, you'd do that for me? You're not just pulling my topknot, are you now?"

The teen nodded. "I promise. There's only one thing I really want."

"Then we'll just have to do something about that, Al. Can I call you Al?"

Haruhi turned away from the conversation. _I wonder, when I find Tamaki-senpai and Kyouya-senpai, could I get out of some of their schemes by saying I saved them? Nah, Kyouya-senpai would just say that saving him had no financial impact and that my debt was still the same. But Tamaki-senpai…_ "As Prince ALI! How d'ya like the sound of that, Al?"

Haruhi grumbled lightly, rubbing her ear; though the hope on Aladdin's face made her heart nearly melt. "Me, a prince? You can really do that?"

"In an Agrabah minute!"

Aladdin turned to the off-worlders. "I guess the legends were true. C'mon, let's get to the palace!" He said before running off, Sora hot on his heels.

* * *

Haruhi peered over the ledge before gasping in shock. "That woman!"

"It's Jasmine!" Aladdin cried.

Sora sighed, looking apologetically at Aladdin. "We'll never make it in time."

The man nodded. "Then I've got no choice. Genie, I wish for you to save Jasmine!"

"Can do! CHAARGE!" Just like before, the Heartless disappeared in a poof. The group jumped down to Jasmine, Aladdin kneeling to check on her.

"We're lucky!" Goofy said. Haruhi glanced at him. "She fainted, but it looks like she's okay.

"But now you've only got one wish left." Sora added.

More Heartless appeared. Aladdin sighed, looking to Genie. Haruhi shook her head. "Don't Aladdin. We can handle this."

* * *

"See?" Sora grinned. "We didn't need Genie this time."

"Thanks Sora." Aladdin looked crestfallen. "But I'm still down to my last wish."

There was a large flash, leaving the group confused. "What was that?" Someone asked. Haruhi blinked, trying to get the spots out of her vision.

Aladdin looked around frantically. "Oh no! The lamp is gone!"

The girl's attention was drawn to the tall man walking to the ledge they had been on. "Hmm, it seems my plans have gone amiss." _This must be Jafar…_ "I was certain you'd waste your last wish, what with Jasmine in distress and these delightful creatures to deal with." He held up the lamp. "But no matter. At least the lamp and its genie are mine to command!"

"Why are you doing this Jafar!? You've got the lamp, what more do you want?"

"Such an interesting question. You see, I knew you were going to use the lamp to win Jasmine's heart. But we can't have that now, can we. Because I am the one Jasmine will marry!"

"Ew…" Haruhi muttered.

"Certainly you realize that if I marry the Princess, then nothing can stop me from becoming Sultan! You're nothing more than a pawn in my game, street rat! Genie! My first wish! Deliver Jasmine to me!"

Genie appeared, holding Jasmine in his hands and looking apologetically at the group. "Genie! What are you doing?!" Aladdin asked.

The blue man sighed. "Sorry, Al. My hands are tied on this one. I gotta obey whoever has his mitts on the lamp."

"Precisely. Farewell, Aladdin...you fool!"

The two left, leaving the team alone. Aladdin slumped in defeat. "Great. Now I've lost Jasmine AND the lamp."

Sora glared defiantly at him. "You can feel bad about it some other time! If you don't pull yourself together, you'll never see Jasmine again! You lost the lamp. So what? You can still save her on your own! Losing someone you care about is bad, but not as bad as never getting them back!"

Haruhi smiled. Sora was the king of inspirational speeches. Now, as long as she could keep Sora out of trouble and figure out this stupid castle, they'd be well on their way… Aladdin yanked her out of her thoughts. "I've got an idea. Listen up!"

* * *

Haruhi, along with Sora, Donald, and Goofy confronted Jafar at the palace gates. The disgusting man smirked at them, eyes shooting for a second longer over her than the boys. She shivered. "What's this? Has Aladdin given up on his precious Jasmine already? Well, I'm not going to waste a wish on the likes of you three. I'll deal with you myself!"

"Aladdin! Now!" Sora shouted. Aladdin leapt from his hiding place, catching Jafar by surprise.

The man glared. "What? You! Genie, seize him!" Genie blocked the teen's attack, apologizing as he threw him back. Aladdin smirked, getting up. "You fell for it, Jafar!"

"What do you mean?!"

"You used your second wish. You only have one left, obviously." Haruhi stated, leaning against her staff. "Not many options available."

"Go ahead, use it to win Jasmine's heart." challenged Aladdin. "You'll still have us to deal with!"

Genie grinned widely, "Oh, NOW I get it. Al, you are so clever!"

Jafar was less impressed. "Well, well. The cunning of a rat. But unfortunately, you can't see beyond the bait. Your little ploy changes nothing! I can crush you once and for all AND make Jasmine my own! Genie! My last wish! Transform me into an all-powerful genie!"

As Jafar was covered by red smoke, Haruhi felt that familiar drifting off sensation.

* * *

"We rescued Jasmine AND we got the lamp back!" Donald yelled.

Goofy looked to Aladdin. "You still have one wish left, Aladdin."

Genie nodded. "He sure does. Time for me to make a prince outta this guy! Course, I'd like to be free, but like they always say, genies can't be choosers. You're probably miffed about that whole puppet-of-Jafar thing, anyway. Go on, Al. Wish for what's really in your heart. Be a prince. Get the girl."

Haruhi watched Aladdin. The older teen was smiling mischievously at the group. Catching her knowing look, he put a finger to his lips before turning to Genie. "Okay, here goes. Genie, I wish for your freedom!"

The girl nodded proudly as Genie sputtered and legs replaced his tail thing. As Aladdin explained to Genie, Haruhi went over to Goofy.

The dog-man turned to her, eyes twinkling. "So, Haruhi, didja know what he was gonna do?"

"Maybe, Goofy. Just maybe. Besides, everyone knows that to love someone, you need to get to know them, not just force them to love you. Oh, Sora wants us." The Keyblade wielder was gesturing to them. Genie was handing a card to Sora.

"Without you guys, I might never have been able to ditch that lamp! And I think Aladdin will be fine without me for at least a little while."

Sora smiled. "I see. Thanks!"

Aladdin put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "Let's hope both our wishes come true, then. Take care, Sora!" With that, the teen left, leaving the group to head out to the next level.

* * *

Haruhi didn't know if she was happy or annoyed with being back in the white hallways. These seemed to only make her doom levels higher and higher. Sora stopped, thinking. "Who could that have been before in my memory? It wasn't Kairi... But another...girl? Maybe...I think her name was..."

"Sora!" Donald yelled, already at the stairs. The boy's head shot up. "Let's go! You want to find Riku and the king, don't you?"

"Um, sure. Man. It was right on the tip of my tongue..." Watching Sora pass her, Haruhi felt her brow furrow. This wasn't right, Sora wasn't the kind of person to forget a friend, no matter how long it had been. Following slowly, the girl looked around warily. A short way into the next level, Sora stopped again. "I remember!"

The other two turned, confused. "Huh?"

"There was another girl on the islands where I used to live. Besides Kairi and Riku, there was one other girl I was friends with. The four of us played together all the time."

Jiminy seemed just as worried as she was. "Sora... Seems to me that's the first time you've mentioned her."

Sora sighed. "Yeah...I guess I forgot all about her. I think...she just suddenly went away when I was still really little."

Donald looked sadly at him. "What do you think made you remember that now?"

"I'm not sure. But it's been coming back in pieces as we go through the castle."

"Gawrsh, do ya remember her name?" Goofy asked. It seemed it was only Jiminy and herself who were worrying, Haruhi noticed.

The Keyblade wielder shook his head. "I don't remember. I feel kinda dumb. We said we weren't gonna forget our friends, and well now... I can't even remember her name." There was a look of sadness, longing and shame on his face.

Goofy smiled softly. "Aww, you shouldn't be worryin', none! If it's been coming back to you in pieces... You're sure to remember her name just like everything else!"

Sora nodded before turning to her. "What do you think, Haruhi?"

"To be honest, Sora… I don't know what to think. This place is making you forget some things, but remember others. There's a group of mysterious people with unknown intentions. Now a long lost memory of a friend that you had no idea about until we got here. I can't make a decision, it's up to you to follow your heart."

"What are you saying, Haruhi? You don't think my memories are real? That isn't very nice at all!" There was a flash of hostility in his eyes.

"No! I'm saying be careful." Eyes widening, Sora stepped back. He glanced at Donald and Goofy before focusing on the Host again. "I… I'm sorry, Haru. I think this is all starting to get to me."

Haruhi smiled. "Don't worry, let's just keep going."

He grabbed her hand, running to the gilded door and holding up the second to last card.

* * *

Took a bit of an extra long break that time, sorry yall. School life got in the way, and all that fun stuff. Things are going to start getting heated up pretty soon, some people may not come out unscathed.


End file.
